KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Serena Williams capitalized on a critical double-fault Thursday by Yaroslava Shvedova to survive a 69-minute first set and win her opening match at the Sony Open, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
The top-ranked Williams seeks a record seventh Key Biscayne title.
Williams, who owns a small share of the Miami Dolphins, wore a dress in the team's orange and turquoise colors. As with the Dolphins, she found points tough to come by in the early going.
She erased a 5-3 deficit in the first set, then fell behind 6-3 in the tiebreaker. Shvedova pushed a forehand into the net, then hit a nervous double-fault that allowed Williams to exhale.
She won the next two points with aces, then closed out the set with a backhand winner, a fist pump and a scream of "Yes!"
